“Maybe we could sleep in; I’ll make you banana pancakes; Pretend like it’s the weekend now. We could pretend it all the time.” –Jack Johnson, Banana Pancakes

It never hurts to have a little inspiration for a recipe and the Jack Johnson song “Banana Pancakes” is what prompted me to make a batch of pancakes for myself. It’s a cute song and, if you listen to it a couple of times, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you’re beginning to feel a bit of a craving, either.

This recipe is basically a buttermilk pancake with mashed banana added into it. It’s the perfect way to use up just one overripe banana – not enough to make banana bread or a banana cake – when you have one in the kitchen. I’ve had banana pancakes that use more banana than my recipe does and I really prefer to keep the amount of banana low. A really ripe banana has a strong banana flavor to it, and the pancakes remain light and fluffy when you don’t add in too much. I will typically use 1 fairly large banana and not spend too much time worrying about the precise amount of banana I add in. If my fruits were very small, I would probably use two.

You probably noticed that the pancakes in my little stack look awfully small. They are. Each of those pancakes is about the size of a quarter – perfect for stacking up into a bite-size tower. They cook much more quickly than their larger counterparts, so they require a closer eye on the stove, but they are oh-so-cute and, in my opinion, just a bit more fun to eat. Feel free to make full-sized pancakes, too, and stack them up to appease bigger eaters.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Whisk in eggs, buttermilk and mashed banana until batter just comes together and no large streaks of flour remain. If your batter is too thick (different sized bananas will cause the batter to vary in thickness), or you prefer your pancakes to be on the thinner side, add an extra 1/4 cup of milk or buttermilk into the mix to thin it slightly.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until a drop of water placed on it skitters around the surface. If it instantly evaporates, turn down the temperature slightly.
Drop by 1/4 cup fulls for large pancakes, or small spoonfuls for bite-sized ones, into the preheated pan and cook until golden on both sides, turning once.
Serve immediately, with maple syrup.